Xanthous
by Rakusa
Summary: Someone has put a hit out on Serenity. The problem? She's already dead, they've all died, and have been reborn. Now someone is attempting to complete a job started a millennium ago and all they have to go by is a color.
1. Chapter 1

Xanthous

16 August 2011

Summary: Someone has put a hit out on Serenity. The problem? She's already dead, they've all died, and have been reborn. Now someone is attempting to complete a job started a millennium ago and all they have to go by is a color.

–

To say that someone should have known this was coming, was an understatement. But really, someone should have known. It wasn't rocket science, and this was much to delicate a matter to be left in the hands of four young girls.

Luckily there was another there, that had a much better understanding of how important all of this was. Or at least of the ramifications.

Usagi got told to duck and cover if she even thought she heard a noise. Seeing as how she didn't want to get hurt, she listened to the advice most ardently. When that wasn't working so well, she got placed into a hole and told to stay there until it was safe, then it was covered by a tree branch and there was a window she could see out of in on one side, and everything else was blocked off. She was safe, and she could still move around pretty freely. This was the best situation she could possibly hope to be in, when she didn't want to even be there.

She saw someone fall, he had blond hair and she had to hold back the gasp as she realized what happened. Then there were heavy footfalls, followed by the same boots, but a lot lighter. They were trudging through the muck, and were angling towards her pretty rapidly for being so well covered, and so smartly too.

There they stopped for a moment, looking unsteadily at the tree, wondering if they should go around, or try to move it, or go over it. She prayed for the first option. But then there was a blast and it sounded close. It hit one of them and she saw another body litter the ground, that's when she took her shot, she'd only have one chance. She fired it off.

–

Later, when people asked about the victory, she would look at them firmly in the eye and say it with a serious face and in a stern tone that would leave them with no thoughts other than about how crucial it had all been. About how much sacrifice they had all shared for this heavy burden.

Then when she was finished, and they understood the weight of the gravity of this situation, she would let out a woop and they would have to cover their ears in an attempt to block the noise after the fact. Then she would do a little dance, and the image would burn their retina. For why shouldn't she be excited?

They had killed the enemy like nobody's business. She would toss it into their face every chance she got. For why wouldn't she? They had thought that she would be dead in the first five seconds of the fight. She outlived them all, and now if they even mentioned anything remotely related to her, she'd be able to give a firm example back, and have witnesses to prove it too.

They tried to debunk her facts, tried to argue that it wasn't her victory alone. She was not the one that had managed to defeat them, that she had help in the form of a very capable partner, and it was that partner that did all the work for her.

Then she'd hit them with something they weren't expecting and she'd tell them off for being such downers.

They would try to come back at her, but it would be easily debunked by her partner and witness, who would also use this opportunity to wipe their smug smiles off their faces. "You hadn't believed in me either. So really, this is where the credit is due. We both proved we're not as incapable on the battle field as you all thought."

"Even so, I would assume having Ami to help you would have been better, at least there, you'd have some brains with you."

"Har har, har."

"You're just jealous. You put your fate in Motoki-kun and each other, and instead of where it should have rested, with the best couple in the world." Usagi held out her hand and it got slapped in agreement. "Oh yeah."

"You got lucky." Then they would back down and pout.

That's how it was most days. Today was no different, but something was a little off. For one, the blond man who attended on everyone and everything wasn't there, instead there were his replacements. Those men were too slow, and not very attentive. So it gave the girls and sole male a chance to talk in a bit more privacy while also complaining about the lack of service.

"Well I think we should have a rematch. There's just something sneaky about hiding in a hole, waiting to ambush us."

"Minako, that's the definition of sneaky." Makoto rolled her eyes. "Though I do agree with her, there should be something in the rules about tampering with nature to fit what you want. Not a pleasant tactic, that one, especially when the Earth is agreeing with its master and covering it up. It wasn't really your own skill that beat us. Next time there will be no lying in wait. If armies did this, then there would be no war."

"A good thing, I image." Usagi mentioned casually. "But he didn't have the Earth help him, I saw him dig it out by his own two hands and pull the tree over me, making sure I had enough room to maneuver, breath and be hidden at the same time. Your argument is weak."

"I still think we should have a rematch."

"I didn't even want to do it the first time."

"You're just scared that you wont be able to do it again, thus proving that we're the better ones, and you just got lucky."

"I'd just forfeit because I don't want to do it, I don't think its fun." Usagi pouted. "That's more up your guys alley. The lot of you can do it again all you want, I'm going to just play video games on my phone then."

Ami cleared her throat. "I enjoy it too, its fascinating all of the different trigonometry and technical methods."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Of course, but you're a major nerd. You enjoy all these different kinds of things like that. Makoto's got expertise. Rei likes to shoot weapons. Motoki and Mamoru are boys, so they just like guns. Minako... well... Minako's just enthusiastic about anything physical and she's got a control problem."

"Thank you for those sweeping generalizations." Rei muttered. "We do have our softer sides too you know."

"Yeah, I do, that's why we're friends." Usagi grinned at them.

"Suppose you could look at it in that way."

"I think I will ignore that, and not look too closely into what else you could mean by that." Usagi felt Mamoru's hand slip into hers. She smiled up at him.

"And on that notion, I think it's time for some video games before I get sick from all this nauseating romance." Makoto slipped out of the booth to find a Mortal Kombat game.

"I think I threw up a little in my mouth." Rei agreed and disappeared into a row further back.

"I'm getting hives." Ami complained, running towards the bathroom.

Mamoru grinned at Usagi and she snuggled up to him. Their plan had worked out well. They got rid of the pestering girls. Especially ones that wanted Usagi to be in the way of massive welts and bruises, and ones that didn't heal as quickly as theirs. Her ability that day had been all instinctual, she had watched her brother play video games forever and had picked up the minor details others often over-looked. She was quick and sharp, but it wasn't a real battle. In a real battle, it wasn't five of her friends starting on one side of the woods, and her and Mamoru on the other. In a real battle, they were coming hard, and coming quickly and more than just a few against a few, there were many. Usagi had the greatest respect for all those who faced off in that kind of situation.

She really had the greatest respect for her friends too, she just didn't always share it with them. Though they knew, just as she knew that they'd always have her back. That this debate was raging, was only on the surface.

She reached up and cupped Mamoru's cheek. He was her partner not only on the field, but also in crime and in so many other things as well. He was her partner in life. His hand covered hers and held it still as he turned his head and kissed her palm.

Minako squealed. Mamoru and Usagi turned their heads towards the remaining girl still sitting with them, the one they had forgotten about as their world had narrowed in to just the two of them. When they turned their attention back to her, she was sitting forward, elbows on the table, hands linked and chin resting on those and she stared at them with avid fascination and she was about to aw...

"Minako, don't you have a game to beat?" Mamoru gave her a pointed look and then at Usagi's favorite game, her namesake.

"Please... these are all peanuts compared to what I've played before. Anyways, I thought you wanted us to show a softer side."

"Yeah, but somewhere else." Usagi also gave Minako a look, and she was a little more blunt with her meaning. "Go be soft with someone else."

"Someone, somewhere, else, I'm beginning to feel unwanted."

"No." Usagi gasped mockingly. "I love you, but go away."

Minako's shoulders slumped before she hopped up from the bench and bounced away to go to the counter and flirt with the cutest man that was there. Usagi and Mamoru chuckled and they snuggled together again.

Usagi barely noticed Minako spin back around and return to their table, she had forgotten her phone. Where Minako had just been standing, there was a large blast and smoke and when that filtered out, all there was left was a crater. Nobody had been injured. She had been in a space that wasn't occupied by anyone, as if the attack had been meant for her and her alone.

Minako's quick actions had saved herself, not just her unexpected movement, but also her training. She jumped and rolled behind a row of games. Another blast rickoshayed through the arcade, destroying the top half of the machines she hid behind. She slinked along the ground, trying to loose the thing after her. Hiding from it, confusing it, making it seem like she could be anywhere.

Mamoru meanwhile, as soon as the noise was heard, long before it made contact, pulled Usagi under the table, pressed her against the sold frame of the bench and covered the rest of her with his body, tucking her head securely between their bodies. By the time the place stopped shaking, she was completely unscathed.

The arcade didn't have a single scratch on it, other than the few places that Minako had last been seen. Usagi struggled to get a look, she was terrified for her friend, she fought to be free, but Mamoru shoved her back down. She was safe so long as she was hidden.

The other girls were alerted just as quickly and Ami who was the the most hidden from view, was the first one back on the scene. Rei and Makoto disappeared and came back. All three of them were dressed very differently and took a stance in front of the destruction. They would have sent blasts back but they weren't sure where to send them. There was no way to know what or who was shooting at Minako. They had the general idea though, the trajectory of the blasts origin, but there was so much city beyond these glass windows. They didn't want to risk hitting anyone.

Usagi didn't know it, but they'd managed to stand between her and the blasts too. Mamoru was talking to her, while keeping her trapped, his hands on either side of her, and his head bowed over hers. He wasn't taking any chances either. "Calm down, they'll handle this. Minako's fine."

"You can't know that." She argued. "I have to help her."

"How?" He asked, not with an angry tone, but trying to debunk her nicely. "You can't do anything, not like they can."

She still struggled, really not wanting to sit and do nothing. This was almost as invasive as attacking her home, this was one of her sanctuaries. This is where all her friends gathered together, _all_ of them. They were all like her family, hell even her family came here sometimes. Her brother most often. "I have to do _something_."

"Here, I'll let you have a look, but you have to stay here." He shifted, so she could have a look over his shoulder. The chaos seemed to have stilled, otherwise he never would have moved even a fraction away from her safety.

Minako was barely visible on the corner of one game, and only from Usagi's angle. Minako smiled and waved her down. Minako was fine. Usagi took a deep breath of relief. Usagi nodded back. Minako scrambled around another game, and out of Usagi's view. However Usagi now knew her friend was ok and she could relax a little. Her other three friends were in the line of fire but thankfully, they were prepared for it.

Mamoru wanted to move her, move her away, go somewhere safer, but right now this was the safest place. The attacker didn't know they were there, and to move would be loosing their shelter. But he had to prepare, had to make her ready to move. He took her face in his hands and held it still. "When I tell you, be ready to move." It was in case a stray blast made its way towards them. So far the attacks had been very directed and contained. That didn't mean it wouldn't get ugly, and fast.

"Mamo-chan." She whimpered, confused and unsure. This was the first time she had been in a situation like this. She would do whatever she could, whatever he told her to do, but she had no experience, wasn't sure if she could do it. She clung to his shirt at his sides, her fingers digging into the flesh there. She was scared, and she'd admit it freely.

"You'll be great." He reassured, his voice coming from right next to her ear, and it was reassuring, the heat and the closeness. He was with her, and he'd never let her fail, never let anything happen to her. She felt his confidence for her, and felt her own grow. She gave a short nod, before she heard a familiar speech. She had never seen it in person, but she knew them all, found them entertaining.

The battle seemed to be over, even as Minako called out for the enemy to show itself. But it never did. After a few minutes, with nobody moving, and all eyes and other senses alert, did things finally settle down. The girls started to fan out, moving further and further into the street beyond the arcade. The street that was devoid of pedestrians and traffic, made so by the noise and danger that had taken place not too long before.

The attack was over, but Mamoru and the girls weren't taking any chances. Mamoru herded Usagi out the back while Ami provided a smoke screen, or rather a fog screen. Usagi was carted back to Rei's temple and by the time they got there, the others were just coming up on their tail, but taking the longer way there.

Then she was party to a situation she was all too familiar with, the after the attack debriefing. This time though, was a little different, for they had no idea what just happened, and instead Minako got fawned over for a change, while a plan was being formed to ensure that was all it was, whatever it was.


	2. Chapter 2

Xanthous

16 August 2011

Summary: Someone has put a hit out on Serenity. The problem? She's already dead, they've all died, and have been reborn. Now someone is attempting to complete a job started a millennium ago and all they have to go by is a color.

–

Chapter 2

Days passed, but no news on what had happened at the arcade. For once, the girls, Mamoru and Usagi had decided it wasn't their fault. A stray youma must have targeted the arcade, and Minako was the unintended victim of the attack. Probably drawing its eye to the fast moving, bright creature. So ok, maybe it was her fault, but only just a little. Once that creature disappeared from sight though, so too had the youma.

The six of them helped pick up the arcade and help rebuilt it over those following few days. Motoki had the TV on, and all of the other machines off, he liked having the news playing while he worked on the restoration of his livelihood.

A news reporter cut in, it was about the strange murder of a young woman. "It's very strange, we haven't seen a crime like this ever. Its like those youma attacks, but it was focused and directed at one person. The senshi never showed up, but we believe that's because it was finished and gone before anyone could have been alerted. No one saw it. We don't know what kind of creature it could have been. We don't know what to tell people to be on the look out for."

There were key words that brought everyone's heads up. Words like _strange, murder, youma, senshi, gone, alert, creature, don't know what to tell people._ Even Motoki tuned into the TV more closely than he had been before. The rest of the story unfolded. Turns out that it was a young blond girl walking home and had been cutting through a back alleyway. She was between the age of 15 and 25. She had been struck down, and that was all anyone was going to release to the media. It was only released to the media from the police because they wanted people to be aware that something had happened, and they weren't sure if it would happen again. She had been alone, and they were telling people to use caution and travel together.

This was all well and good, and information they all knew already. The main thing was, that they all knew this wasn't the first thing to happen that was strange in recent weeks. There was really nothing to go on, they had nothing tangible to go by. The girls looked to Ami and she was already ducking out to see what she could gather with her own eyes and the computer's scans of residual energies.

Mamoru shifted slightly closer to where Usagi was working and the other girls expanded their perimeter to fill in where they were now missing Ami. Of course most of that happened without anyone being aware of it, built into their bones and doing it naturally. On some level though, they all noticed it, but they either didn't mind, didn't notice it enough, or did it with intention. It wasn't just due diligence for all of them, it wasn't duty, it was desire too. Usagi was only aware of it on the fringes, she shifted with them, but didn't really understand what she was doing. It was like there was a magnet inside of her, and she had to be so close to all of them at all times.

Motoki turned off the news, flipped through the channels, and then turned it all off when he decided there was nothing of any note to watch. He instead cracked up the music that had also been playing softly in the background. It was soothing, classical beats with enough energy in it, that they didn't relax in their jobs.

It was nearing closing time, had the arcade even been open, and that meant it was quite late at night. The arcade didn't shut down for long, and it was usually long after even the most night owl among their group had decided enough was enough and it was time for sleep. It was especially nice during finals. Motoki was always there for them. Just like it was turning out, they were always there for him.

He turned down the music, set a tray onto a table in the booth sections and beckoned them all over to him. This was when he was finally going to tell them. The others took notice of his actions. Or at least visibly showed him they did. They had to react like normal human beings at any rate, and took their cues from Usagi if no other was around, however Motoki was usually there to take cues from, but he was the one dictating tonight.

The girls all flocked together with Usagi and Mamoru as they started streaming towards Motoki. Ami finally made it back, she had only been gone for a half hour, but it had been a recent discovery when the news had still been on. That's what had made Motoki decide. He let them all sit down before he pulled up a chair at the end. He opened his mouth to start, to explain and let them know what was on his mind. Then he closed it again and handed out the food and beverages that he knew each were partial to. He knew so many intimate details about them.

He looked imploringly to Usagi, the only one who seemed to understand, the only one who _could_ understand, the only one who wasn't fully part of this, the only one that was like him. Except she wasn't, he understood that. She looked back at him with wide eyes, looking frightened, not knowing what he wanted from her, never being asked so pleadingly and never by him. He had always been a rock, a pillar in this crazy world.

Finally Motoki looked away, he wouldn't find his help there, unless he managed to convey what he was after first, or at least started it enough that she could catch on. He looked down at the tray, and at his hands sitting on the edges of it, where he always was. Then he watched a dainty, feminine hand cover his, it was soft and he ran his thumb against her palm in gratitude. When he looked up to the owner of that hand, he wasn't surprised to see that it belonged to Minako. She was on his side, she always was. Usagi was too far away to offer any physical support, but she had softened and was looking at him with reassurances as well, and her hand was as outstretched as she could be.

"Somethings happening in this world." He finally found his voice. "It's not good. All of these youma attacks, the arcade being demolished like it was, the girl a random youma had attacked and then left for dead, and disappeared itself." His voice cracked and he looked up at all of them. Suddenly his mouth was dry and he couldn't finish what he had intended to say. His eyes lingered on Usagi and then even longer on Minako. One had been his friend since she was born, and the other... well she was special in a much stronger way. "I'm just worried about this world, and I want you to know, I am here for you, anything you need. I want you all to be safe. You mean so much to me." He paused for a beat, they didn't know how to react to such a heartfelt comment being laid at their feet so suddenly from the cheery man who was always upbeat and making everyone else that way too. "I also want to let you know how much gratitude I feel that you've come to help me with my arcade. So thank you."

Then everyone started talking, all eloquent words and fast and over each other, and each meaning everything they said, just as much as he had. They all loved each other dearly, and Motoki suddenly felt it in its intensity and was warmed to the point he wanted to explode as he realized he was always a part of that, always loved that much and never viewed as an outsider, not even for a second, despite there being secrets between them. Just as suddenly as the loss of his voice, he realized that none of the other stuff mattered, just what was here, right now, in front of him, that's what was important.

The seven of them, together.

When the words died down, as eventually they would have to, so too did lids begin to droop. Most noticeable on the two blonds, one female, one male. The other feigned their own tiredness and Mamoru lifted Usagi from the seat, carrying her towards the door. Only then did she realize what was happening and she fought to get down. "I can walk, thank you."

"Yeah ok, but I'll see once we get passed the windows and out of view." Mamoru chuckled, wrapping his hand around hers. She let him, even though had she been any other female after those last two announcements would have pulled away and tried to prove it, by doing it faster and first. But it was Usagi, and it was Mamoru and it was _them_ so really, there was no point.

Usagi instead only looked over her shoulder at Motoki and waved at him. "See you later! I can't wait for the Grand Re-Opening!"

"Its not like I've changed anything." Motoki groaned. "There'll just be a sign saying: Now, reopened. That's all, it had only been closed for repairs and everybody knew it too."

"You don't need to tell us. We're your entire clientele." Makoto slapped a hand onto Motoki's back and he pitched forward a little at the strength.

"You wish." Motoki bantered back, after catching himself, Makoto looked a little chastened after realizing she did it again. "Have a goodnight you guys." He nodded towards the couple now leaving and then at Makoto and Rei. Minako was still standing beside him, as she always was.

He turned to her, his hand sinking into her long loose blond hair, and brought her head to his, but she was all too willing, as she met him half way. When his other hand reached up, it was to tug the red bow out of her hair, and then slid that hand down to her waist. In no time, Minako had jumped and was now wrapped completely around him, their tongues playing a game that they'd rather be doing, as Motoki tried to angle their way up the stairs in the back.

–

A day later, another incident report. Usagi was on her walk home, Luna on her heels, and she had seen it flashing by on the bottom of the screen. Ami hadn't reported much in her findings, just confirming what they'd already known, and adding that it was just a normal girl. At first, Usagi had thought it was the same story, being hyped up in the media, as it often was these days. Instead though, some of the details had been changed, like the location and how the girl was attacked. The rest of the details were the same though.

Luna had jumped onto her shoulder for a better look and Usagi jerked in surprise, though she should have been used to it by now.

"Contact the others, we've got to have a discussion." Luna ordered, and Usagi cast her a sideways glance. "Er, right, sorry." Luna nudged her head against Usagi's jaw. "Please."

Usagi did as Luna asked, but that evening, at the meeting, there wasn't much to discuss, just the details that all of them were already aware of.

Another two days, another two girls, dead. The information on the news coming more frequent, but the details a lot more stagnant and slim. They stopped reporting any hard facts, the police, not wanting anyone to get stirred up into a terror, or anyone else to get ideas about being a copycat. It was a stain on their record, to allow even two to happen. Not that they _allowed_ it to happen.

Though the girls were beginning to feel the same way as the police. This was their fault that they weren't stopping it. They were glad the police were keeping the extra details hidden, but at the same time, that was the only way that _they _could find out about the attacks. The youmas weren't even registering on their computers as showing up _at all_. Not even a residual signature to track down. The details were being blurred and kept from the girls, including age range, location and any other details that might have helped them.

Who knew when the next attack would happen, and if it would even be released to the media. Then where would they be? They wouldn't know about it, couldn't investigate, and wouldn't be able to pin down the next attack, or who would be attacked. If there was another attack at all. "We're going to have to either break into the coroners office or work with the police." Makoto surmised, and a few of them shivered at that thought. It wasn't the thought of breaking in or investigating the _coroners_ office though, it was at the thought of working with the police.

"Let's put that idea on the back-burner for now." Mamoru was a little against that idea, all of it. "If we do one or the other, then we're trapped into a relationship with them."

"One way or the other." Ami completed his thought. "And Kamen's already got a record with them."

"It's not my fault Serenity was having me transverse planes and jewelery shops looking for a gem she already had." He pinched Usagi softly and she yelped. It hadn't hurt, but she was supposed to respond.

"I didn't know it though." She complained. "Er, about the dreams at any rate. I guess I didn't know I had the gem either, as I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for it. Serenity was very strange anyways, so lets just ignore her bit, shall we?" Then she looked at him. "Who said anything about stealing crystals anyways? Now I'll never know if anything jewelery related is bought or stolen." She sighed dramatically. "Then I won't be able to wear it in public, always fearing I will be arrested as some kind of cross-dressing thief, and being ashamed that my man can't buy me the finer things in life. He had to steal them and not work for them the old fashioned way. What does that say about him? Us? _Me?_"

"Oh hush. I never stole a thing a day in my life, and you know it too. It was just suspicious behavior, breaking and entering a lot of jewelery stores, taking a look at every one that might catch my eye, then leaving."

"Again, what does that say about you? That you can't even steal right?" Minako quipped.

Rei threw a pastry at the other blond, who caught it and ate it. "Quiet you. But really, Mamoru, what were you thinking? All those jewels for the taking, and you just left them all? I never would have complained about those stolen goods."

"The police would have been after me a lot harder than they were. Luckily I was doing good deeds and stopping real jewel thieves in the process. Also, breaking into a place, without breaking anything, and then leaving without being noticed until after the fact is harder work than if I had earned the money to buy those things."

"You still got caught after the fact, a real thief would never have even had that happen. It just goes to show that you're not that stealthy." Makoto grinned. "Now I on the other hand-" Then she shut her mouth and didn't say anymore. It was usually the small ones with no curves to speak of that were the devious and sly ones that could fit through any hole and were often thieves, now everyone's attention was on Makoto, but she refused to say more, making all wonder exactly what she had managed to steal and when, and if they'd seen it before. She obviously didn't get caught if that was the lead in she was going to go with.

Speaking of lead ins. Usagi had turned to Mamoru. "That's not true though, by the way. You have stolen something, something very precious. You stole my heart."

"It was a trade, actually, for I let you steal mine in return."

"Gag me." Rei sank to the ground and covered her mouth.

Makoto overtook Rei's dramatics and started rolling on the floor, covering her eyes and her ears and whimpering softly. Ami looked at them all and rolled her eyes. "Oh grow up you babies." Minako hissed. "This is why you'll never have boyfriends."

"It's only cute when its not our best friends." Though it was cute then too, and before Mamoru and Usagi officially got together those two were the first ones to try and arrange situations to get them to be together and then set up the popcorn and movie projectors.

"Its only cute when its not happening all the time, and when its the first falling in of love, none of this lovey-dovey, uber-gooey stuff they've been doing recently."

"Recently?" Ami twitched. "What planet have you lived on?"

"Fine, at least the intensity has gotten worse." They could all agree on that. Usagi turned her head and stuck her tongue out at them.

"At least we refrain from tonsil hockey in public."

"Um..."

"Ok fine, at least we refrain from it in a very populated, tight quarters, public."

The others had to give it to them, for that was true. It was also true that Motoki and Minako were a lot more exhibitionist."

"Were?" Minako asked, lifting a blond brow. "Do you have information that I don't?"

"You've cooled off that bit at least, the rest of it hasn't. Its too obvious that hasn't cooled down at all." Makoto wagged her eyebrows.

"Then lets discuss your love-life these days." Minako turned her attention to the tall brunette.

The brunette turned bright red as all eyes turned her way. "There isn't much these days. I would have told you." Makoto's last thing had been with a firefighter that she met on the scene of an attack a few months back, when it was impossible for her to disappear and become a senshi. It had lasted for about a month, and then it was done. She had announced that she was bored and that was it.

The others didn't question it. Makoto got bored kind of often. She kept a lot of her exs as friends, but there was never any relapse. She was bored and that's the way it stayed. There had been one that interested her when they were a lot younger, before any of them had met her. Luckily they were interesting and would never get to date her. And there was a duty bounding her to them, otherwise they might never see her again.

"Anyways, lets get back to the point of this meeting." Luna cut in, settling herself on Usagi's lap. Mamoru reached down to start petting her, and Minako was boiling to start throwing dirty puns at him, but she refrained. Luna looked ready to kill her first in charge.

"What did you have in mind, Luna?" Minako asked dutifully, then sank back against her own seat. "And please hurry, Motoki was looking for me."

"I think you should cool it with that man. He's not one of us, and he's a distraction." It wasn't what Luna was intending to say and Artemis' head popped up from the food he had recently found interesting.

"Now Luna, you can't really be serious..." He started for the blond senshi. "He's been a blessing in disguise. If she suddenly drops him, then he might make things really difficult for us. If you would remember what we like about going there for..."

Artemis, ever practical. Minako rolled her eyes, and he was being purposefully vague, though all in this room knew exactly what he was talking about, and all had seen it for themselves, worked on it even. "Either way, what I was going to say, is, Ami's got an in with the hospital, perhaps she could somehow manage to swing by the coroners lab and have a look about." Luna's eyes turned to Makoto. "And you've got an in with the police, see if you can't poke around for any information about these deaths that we've missed."

"And I shall talk to the media, see if there is any details that they've purposefully left out from public knowledge so they can drop an amazing story later. Even chat with the papers, as they've usually got more information to go on that the TV ones." Usagi stated, and Luna was half lulled to sleep by Mamoru.

"Sure sounds good, no, wait, Minako will do that, you will go nowhere near any of this." Luna's head perked up as she realized the trick the blond girl had started to play on her and she swatted Mamoru's hand away. "I can't believe you'd let her go through with something like that."

Mamoru arched a black brow. "Let her? Are you thinking that we had planned all of this? You had come and sat on her lap. Besides, I do not order her about unless it is clearly life threatening. So far, I see no reason to believe she is in danger. She has an in with them, but so does Minako." He acknowledged when Luna's glare became icy. "Perhaps we should go with Minako's in and not yours." He turned to Usagi apologetically.

Usagi's look about changed his mind again, but then he payed attention to what he wanted. He wanted her to be safe and he nodded. "Minako it is then, just until we can be sure." He tried to smile at her, but she frowned and turned away. In fact she stood up and sat down again next to Rei, she rested her head on her friend's shoulder. Rei patted her knee comforting. Luna was still dazed by the discarded pile of fur she had found herself in.

"Come on, Odango, we'll go do something, just the two of us." Rei promised. "Maybe a movie or something." Usagi didn't say anything in response to that, probably not too pleased with that option either. But it was the best that Rei could come up with at the time. The others were on the outs for either having things to do, or agreeing with Luna. "We'll do whatever you want to do, as long as its not too dangerous." Rei relented.

Mamoru opened his mouth, and the black haired beauty shot him a glare. "Don't you dare think of anything you want to say out loud." She was partly glad that they had stopped being that gushy, she had always hated it. Not the relationship, not the gushiness, but that she had to see it. That she had to see any relationship be like that. It made her feel awkward and uncomfortable, but it was usually when she was single as well. It wasn't so bad when she was in a relationship. But it had been a longer time for her than it had been for Makoto, and even Ami.

"Sorry Usako." He whispered. "You'd do beautifully at it, its just Luna thinks its for the best..."

Usagi's eyes lifted to his and she looked a little miffed, but mostly she was just sad, it was the same old story every day, and they had just finally convinced the others that she was more capable than they gave her credit for. Now she was back to where she had been before all of that. Though it was slightly different circumstances. Still... she could do something to help. He knew it too, and he was thinking fast, trying to come up with a way to let her help them, but still stay out of trouble.

"You could talk to your father." He finally came up with what was the perfect solution.

Usagi's head shot up and she looked at him surprised. "My father?" He was kind of a scary man, if you were Mamoru, but Usagi and him always got along well, she was his favorite child, even though he'd try not to admit that. She had no idea why they needed to bring him into this though.

"Yeah, he's a photo journalist, even if he's not the one taking pictures, he's bound to have heard something from the ones that do."

"The forensic team?" Usagi thought hard. "I don't think I've ever heard him discuss any friends on that team. Besides, he's a freelance journalist for the newspaper, not the detectives."

"I know, but he's in the business, and thinks tend to circulate through them when its similar fields. Perhaps he's heard something whose heard from someone." Mamoru suggested.

Usagi thought it over. "Yeah, I could ask him." She perked up at the idea, and she nodded happily. "I can do that."

Rei rolled her eyes. "Now am I the only one who isn't doing anything?"

"No, there's two of us, seeing as how I'm not doing anything either." Mamoru told her. "Perhaps I should take you out to dinner or something."

"No way is that going to happen!" Usagi turned towards the two dark haired people. "He's mine."

"Jeez, could you be any less of a jealous Odango? You already got him, it wouldn't be anything more than an innocent dinner. The two of us, cheering about how we got out of doing any work." Rei's smile was slowly sliding across her face as she realized what she'd just said. Not having any investigations while the others did it all instead, that sounded glorious.

"I was thinking more along the lines of being your wing man and getting you a man." Mamoru remarked, he was only teasing her, but he could help her with that, if she'd so wanted.

A smile twitched at Rei's lips. "Don't tempt me."

Usagi grumbled but settled back down and put her head back to where it was before. It wouldn't have been Usagi had it not been for the random moments of insane jealousy. Especially where Rei and Mamoru were concerned. It was just lingering doubts from before she had even met Mamoru. Rei had been gushing about her newest crush, and how he was taking her out to this fancy restaurant and how she conned him into doing extra for her than a normal date, not that she would have phrased it quite like that, and it wasn't anything seedy, just more work on the guy's part. Then when Usagi had met Mamoru, she hadn't even known it was the man Rei had been going on about. The world had kind of narrowed down, so it was just him and her and no one else. Not even Motoki who started introducing the two of them, but found he didn't need to, or rather, that they weren't listening.

Had Usagi payed attention, had Mamoru, they would have saved themselves a lot of hoops to jump through. For Motoki's introductions were the most encompassing ones ever, all the vital information would have been laid out right then and there. Er, well, not all of it, but the bits that they didn't already know, or that was public knowledge.

Speaking of which, they had a gala to get to, Motoki's sister was a gallery owner, and she was showing off Naru's work, as well as a few other local artists. There wasn't anybody famous in there yet, she wanted to showcase the local talent pool, so they could have a break through, if they so warranted it.

Makoto tossed Usagi the Luna pen, and in seconds Usagi was ready to go, Mamoru transformed and tossed his top hat, cape, mask, tuxedo jacket and vest onto the couch. He kept the suspenders, pants and shirt. He could go as slightly casual, and yet slightly artistic. They'd both fit in just fine. Usagi's look was sophisticated glam with a bit of a youthful twist, as her skirt ended in a bloom at her knees.

"See you guys later." Usagi called as Mamoru held open the door for her. The others waved goodbye. They could go whenever they wanted, but they hadn't been invited to the unveiling. Those two were only invited because Naru was Usagi's best friend before she met the rest of the girls.

It wasn't too far away, but Mamoru and Usagi hopped in a cab anyways, and then walked a short distance when the cab could go no further. Mamoru's hand was warm against her back as he lead her up the stairs and towards the event. She wrapped her arm around his waist as well. They circled the party this way, only moving to shake hands with the Westerners. They spotted Motoki about a half hour in, after marveling at one of Naru's pieces for awhile.

Usagi glanced up at the next piece and saw Motoki talking to an older couple. She nudged Mamoru and together they joined the three standing in front of a very crude painting, that didn't give them much of an insight, except that it was very disturbing. "Ah, Mamoru-kun, Usagi-chan, let me introduce you. These are Yakamoto and Sakura, they're old friends of my parents. They were actually second in line for my sister's christening. Yakamoto and Saukra, these are my best friends, Mamoru and his recent bride, Usagi. They got married in April."

Usagi and Mamoru bowed towards the older couple in respect, who nodded back. Then they were brought into a conversation about the painting and history, and how Motoki used to be when they came to visit. All things that happened when Usagi was either too young to remember, or Mamoru wasn't around yet. Usagi hadn't laughed so hard in such a long time.

–

EAN: Erm... it had been a completely last minute decision to make them all older. I had been planing at least high school age, as this is a completely AU storyline anyway, and then it hit me, why the hell not? Not sure where I'm drawing the line on age limits yet (somewhere between 15-25, I'd reckon though or at least looks it), so bare that in mind, if I ever decide to pin it down. I kind of like the fact that is ambiguous.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

–

The only one to get any real information had been Ami, and that was only after a very thorough search through the morgue. Ami had talked her way into the morgue, by promising to do a rotation in it. Her excuse had been, she wanted to see all parts of the medical facility, to understand the entire circuit. Now she was stuck for a few months there, and all she had really found was charred remains of a few young females, a few with gaping holes and others of varying degree of death. All of them had been moved there, due to the fact that it was the one shared with the police department and their investigator was holding them all until they could conclusively close the case and catch the murderer or if the senshi told them that it was taken care of. "There's no physical features to tie them together. Some were obviously on the low end of 15 and some could have been younger than that, but looked about that age. A few of them, on first glance, I thought they were in their twenties, but upon further inspection, they were far older. There was nothing else besides being female, that I could even begin to guess at a link. They weren't even all Japanese." That got a few responses about political fallout.

The personal effects were all in the detective's locked desks or the evidence room. At any rate, not someplace that they could easily get to, without becoming a senshi or donning a disguise. Since they were trying to keep a low profile this time, it wasn't really an option. Everyone was getting frustrated, especially Ami, who couldn't find anything in the computers when she hacked in either. The detectives were doing a really good job at making sure no information leaked accidentally or intentionally.

Minako plopped down next to Ami at Rei's temple. "Can you believe it?" She complained. "When I asked about any information the media might have been holding back from the public, they claimed I was accusing them of being bullied out of their constitutional right. They have the right to say the facts, as well as not say them! Who knew? With all the stuff they've been printing recently, I thought any collection of words that as remotely true was fair game, and _had _to be printed."

"Mina-chan, did they say that to you?" Ami asked, as the voice of reason. She still hadn't managed to find anything useful. She was beginning to see what Minako meant after being backlogged for so long in all the worthless writing on the computer and internet.

"No, they said that anything the police informed them of, they were trying to print, but they had to keep their relationship with the police polite, because in the future, they might not be so forthcoming with information that would make a great story." Minako grumbled.

"Well, at least you know more than I do. The police shut me down instantly, saying that I wasn't even through training yet and all the vital information was out there. People have to be safe." Makoto cut in before anyone could serve to fan that particular flame. "That was it, try to be safe. Not how, not who, just people. I'm beginning to suspect that they're just as lost on whats going on, and trying to make it sound like they know."

"Oh, I think there's a lot more they know, that they're not sharing, but they probably don't want to incite public riots or panic. They would release the helpful information if they were one hundred percent positive." Ami countered.

Rei sat back, her feet up on the table, watching the interaction. It had been a few days since each were sent on their tasks. She'd had a nice meal with an attractive man, taken yes, but she wasn't that picky. Besides, he actually helped set her up with another meal ticket for the following evening. She was feeling quite full these days. She smiled lazily, like a cat enjoying its forbidden canary and even licked her lips as she thought of those meals. It had been a long time since she didn't have to cook for herself.

She looked across the room at the three girls who had all struck out in various ways in various situations, and noticed that they were missing a very important one. The male half of the couple was sitting there, thinking through all the pieces they gave him, and trying to put them together, and see what could possibly be missing and staring them in the face.

The answer, with absolutely no thought or work, came through the door a few minutes later, with a solution on top of that. She had been aware of the question, but it had come to her without a lot of work, just by showing up. But they had to get to that point first.

Backtracking to earlier that day, found Usagi on her own for a change. Though the situation wasn't anything other than what she had grown used to in the last few months. She slipped the keys back into her pocket as she opened the door, calling a greeting out as she removed her shoes. Inside it smelt nice, the perfect home cooked meal. She smiles as it reminded her of the past and all the happy times she had done just this thing.

"Hi Usagi!" Her mother greeted, popping her head out for a second before going back to the no doubt, boiling stove. Her mother was almost as much chaos as Usagi was, but it was always to the point of disaster, but somehow managing to end up in perfection. A second later, her head popped back around the corner. "No hubby today?"

Usagi shook her head, a smile ghosting her lips still. "Nah, he had work to do. Besides, I just wanted to pop down and see you guys." Usagi shuffled into the kitchen and watched her mother work. She had learned long ago, not to even bother trying to help. Some girls could cook to treat their men, Usagi had other ways, and it was easier to just buy the dark chocolate. Mamoru never seemed to care.

Her brother came scurrying in just as Ikuko-kaa-san was finishing the last touches to their meal and he whipped out all of the plates and utensils. He threw Usagi a quick hello as he ran upstairs to use the bathroom, then came back down and beat Usagi to the table. "Hungry?" She asked amused.

Ikuko nodded. "Ever since he entered high school, he's turned into you."

"Oh yuck!" Shingo threw the roll he was about to bite into back onto his plate. "Please never compare me with her again!"

Usagi stuck out her tongue. "You wish you could compare."

Shingo was about to say something more when Ikuko cut in. "I wonder where your father could be. He's not been this late for awhile now." They were just glossing over some of the more important issues they could have been discussing, and some of the ones Usagi knew Ikuko was just burning to talk to her about. However they'd have to be in private, when Shingo went upstairs to play video games and Kenji off to have a cigar and relax in his study with a glass or two of brandy and a book. They were his only vices, and only on Saturdays.

"He's got a work thing." Shingo reminded his mother. "He said he'd be back late."

"Oh." Ikuko had known that, but her mind seemed to be on other things. She slowly returned to eating her meal. Usagi and Shingo started eating as well but they chatted idly, they actually got along well after the initial return to how they were when they were younger. After that token of reminder of who they used to be, they preceded in being who they were now.

Usagi however much she was focused on her brother and their conversation, couldn't help but notice her mother's eyes lingering for long moments on her, and it wasn't just the looks, she was used to it when she knew her mother was curious about something but couldn't ask yet. It was the deep set worry that bothered Usagi. What could that even be about?

They were finishing putting things into the correct Tupperware when Kenji came home. He kissed his wife and then rested a hand on his son's head, they were the ones closest to him. Then he swept his daughter up into a hug. "It's been too long." He held her tight against him. "I haven't seen you since you got back from your honeymoon. I'm so glad you're ok." He turned to the two in the doorway. "Shingo, go upstairs. Your mother and I have important things to discuss with your sister."

"I'm almost eighteen!" Shingo objected, he was surprised that his father was refusing to let Usagi go, almost like he was afraid of it, that once it happened, Usagi would disappear for good. "I'm allowed to hear these things now!"

"Its not the kind of talk you think its going to be." Ikuko told Shingo, that was private, and usually between mother and daughter. "Besides, why would you want to sit in on that kind of talk?" Ikuko raised a brow. Shingo grumbled and stomped upstairs.

Kenji lead Usagi into the living room and sat her down. Ikuko was a little unsure herself, she had worries, but Kenji hadn't seemed so concerned until he had come home and there had been a relief that rolled off him once he saw his daughter. "I was afraid that you had been hurt, or worse." Kenji started.

"Why?" Usagi wondered, not knowing how this all fit together, and it was starting to make her nervous.

"You didn't call us, or come home after that attack on the arcade. We heard about it from Motoki's parents, they reassured us that nobody had gotten hurt, but they didn't know any details. We were pretty sure that you had been there. What happened?" Ikuko asked, but before Usagi could even get into it, Kenji shook his head.

He took hold of his daughters' hands, and moved them on top of one of his. Then he motioned for Ikuko to sit next to him, and he held her hand as well. "I was at work today, and some of the photographers from the precinct were there, some of the other guys were asking them about the dead body toll and if there was anything important. They refused to tell anything that might lead to a leak and copycats." His thumb brushed the back of Usagi's hand in reassurance as he gathered his thoughts and how he wanted to say it.

"One of my friends, the one that I had shown pictures to of a party a few years back, and how I saw that Tuxedo Kamen character at that party, and managed to capture it... Well, anyways, that man, he was an old friend before that.

He's seen the pictures of you growing up, and he was at my desk today, looking at it. I was curious at the interest, he'd always been polite and inquired before, but he had never taken quite the time to look at it that closely before. He pulled me to the side later that day, when some of the other photographers filed out. That's actually why I'm so late. He told me that it was completely confidential, but he had some news he could share.

He was only going to share it because we were such good friends, and knew I cared deeply about my children. That's when he told me the connection between all of the girls. They were all in the same general age range, but its a large one, and really quite different if you think about it. However, what was kept hidden, was that they were all blonds. He wanted me to inform you, to try and keep you safe. He doesn't want something like that on either of us, or something to happen to you."

Usagi blinked at her father. The gravity of the situation hadn't yet set in. She couldn't understand why he was so concerned about her. She was looking between her brunette father and then over to her mother with dark black hair that looked purple in some lights and blue in others. It liked to reflect almost any light shined upon it. Then she looked down at her lap where both of her parents hands covered her own. Then she saw her shining blond hair and realized exactly what they were getting at.

"Oh my god, you think something is going to happen to me." She looked up at them in surprise. "That I'll be a target in the near future. Is that what you guys think is going on? That these youma or enemies or whatever are targeting blonds?"

"Not just blonds." Her father spoke slowly. "But blonds in your age group."

"They couldn't all be blonds!" Usagi protested. "And they couldn't all be in my age group. There has to be some other reason. If the police were sure about that, then they'd have it announced to everyone. Its neglectful not to do so."

"I hear they're looking into it more, they don't want to concern everyone if its just a random killing spree of you generations' females. They would warn you guys, but it isn't like they can really get all of you to stop living your lives. They're wondering if there might be another connection and the blond hair is just a distraction or an unintentional side effect. There were some that looked like brunettes until close up and you could see it was just dark blond hair or brunette with blond roots, trying to fit in more with their surroundings or something."

"But... why would they be targeting just one hair color? That seems a little strange."

"Who were they targeting when the arcade was attacked?" Ikuko asked softly, and Usagi knew the answer, even if her parents didn't know she knew.

"Minako..." Usagi's voice was weak with the recognition of it. "I just can't understand it. Why would anyone want to do something like that?"

"Rid Japan of the invaders? The ones that aren't originally from here?" They were just guessing too.

"I'd feel a lot better if you stayed here." Kenji said. "Stay out of danger. We could protect you."

Nobody could protect her better than her husband. It wasn't just her biased opinion, it was the truth. Now she couldn't really say what was better, between Mamoru and the girls, but she'd have to believe it was Mamoru.

"It's ok mom and dad." She tried to reassure them. "I'll be here for awhile tonight, but I have to go back. I'll figure something out, I always do." That was true enough, at any rate. "If not, Mamo-chan will." She shared a grin with her mother and her father was a little clueless to what she meant by that.

"I still don't understand how the two of you got together, or even met." Kenji grumbled. "I still stand by the fact that you're too young."

Mamoru and Usagi had a unique situation. Since he had no family, she wasn't required to give up her ties to hers. Not that it was required any more in this day and age, but had they been in Korea, that still would have been a requirement. As it was, she got lucky in a way, but Mamoru wouldn't have made her do anything she didn't want to do anyways. Their time might have been split between the families. However her father was still of the mindset of days gone by, Ikuko never really saw her family anymore, they were still family, but she was supposed to listen to Kenji's family over her own now.

Kenji still thought that Usagi would have to follow those same customs, and he hadn't wanted her to leave him quite so young. If he had his way, she wouldn't have been married off until she was at least thirty, if not later. Though by then, he might have been singing a different tune, wondering what she was doing to send away so many marriage prospects. Though she was pretty sure it would only be in jest.

He pulled her into a hug again. "Stay safe." He kissed the top of her head and then kissed his wife's cheek before standing up and heading into his study. Today, more than any other day before in his life, he needed his drink.

Ikuko turned to her daughter with delight in her eyes. "Don't mind your father. He's still getting used to the fact that you're properly married. It scares him, makes him think he's older than he is." Ikuko laughed. "Now tell me, how are you finding married life?"

"I'm really enjoying it." Usagi had gotten back from her honeymoon about a month prior. She was still a very, very new bride and some times she couldn't get over it. "It's been really nice. I haven't really settled into any sort of routine."

"Don't." Ikuko advised. "At least not for some time, and even then, mix it up somewhat."

"Mamoru's a very organized person." Usagi hedged, though she wasn't, she was chaos wrapped in a small bundle. It was strange that sometime in her future she was supposed to defeat said chaos. She didn't know how that could be possible.

"Then he shouldn't have married you." Ikuko knew her daughter too well. Then a sly smile slide over her mother's face and she looked around the room for any spies. Not seeing any telling signs she leaned in close to her daughter. "How's the sex?"

If Usagi had been doing anything other than sitting down, she would have made a spectacle of herself in the shock about what was coming out of her mother's mouth. She was floundering for a response.

"That good, huh?" Ikuko nodded approvingly. "I kind of thought he would know how to satisfy you in every way."

"Mother!" She was scandalized. Mothers just didn't talk to their daughters this way, especially not so bluntly. She was blushing furiously too, and she hated being flustered.

"What?" Her mother looked absolutely confused. "A mother wants to know her daughter's happy."

"I am happy." Usagi protested. "I could tell you that without all the intimate details." Ikuko only shrugged.

"I'm glad to hear that honey. If you ever need any advice or anything at all, you come to me, ok? I will help you win whatever way I can."

Usagi would remember that advice for the future, but she doubted that she'd ever share any details with her mother. Her mother had raised her to be a lot sweeter and more closed lip with these things than it seemed her mother was. Though then again, that might just have been the mother daughter relationship, because with her friends, there was a lot less secret keeping.

Usagi stayed, Shingo and Kenji came down and watched a movie with the family. Once the movie was over though, Usagi glanced at her phone, it told her the time, and it was getting rather late, it also told her that there was a meeting going on. Usagi stood and stretched. "This was lovely. Thank you. We should do it again soon." She hugged her little brother before giving her mother a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She went to hug her father and he reached her first, gathering her close.

"Please take all precautions tonight on your way home. Are you sure you don't need a ride?"

"Dad, I'll be fine." Usagi returned his hug just as strongly as he gave her and then gave him a peck on his cheek. "Goodbye everyone." Then she was out the door and jogging to her car. The buses and subway were shutting down soon and she needed to get going now. If anything did happen to her at least, she knew that she had said goodbye to everyone that mattered to her. The senshi didn't always have that, but she knew, and that's what mattered to her.

The drive home wasn't any worse than it was on a good day and it wasn't quite empty and smooth sailings either. She made a quick stop at the supermarket on her way home. When she got home, everyone was still there, having already gone over whatever information they had managed to gleam or complain about not getting. They were just wondering where she could have gotten up to when she walked into her apartment and threw her keys into the bowl. "I'm back!" She greeted everyone, dropping down into Mamoru's lap and kissing him in greeting.

It was only a short kiss, they were well aware they had company, but that was one new tradition they weren't going to break, not even for friends or family. Then she turned to the rest of them, they didn't seem overly concerned for her, which meant that they didn't know.

She wasn't going to share it with them quite yet. She didn't want to loose her independence already, but she would have to tell them before they all left for the night. The attacks were getting more and more frequent. There were three that day already, and they had already attacked Minako, so she wanted her friend to be safe.

"What did you learn?"

"If you had been here when we told you of the meeting, you would have heard what we already shared." Rei grumbled, having already gone over this twice now, and her irritation was starting to show. Though it wouldn't get too much worse towards Usagi. She jested, but she knew not to overstep the line. Not only would Usagi have something to say about that, but if she didn't notice, Mamoru would.

Mamoru no matter how loving and kind he seemed around Usagi, was not one to mess with. As long as it suited him and everyone toed the line, he was a pretty charming guy, and friendly with his friends, Usagi being present or not. However if someone crossed that unspoken, and sometimes spoken, boundary, usually with Usagi, then it was game over.

The funny part, or not so funny part, depending how you looked at it, was that Mamoru wasn't alone, they were almost all just as protective of the blond snuggling into the man's arms as he was. Its what made it so hard to let that relationship blossom in the first place. They gave her a quicker run down of their situations and Usagi looked at them curiously. "So you found no concrete information?"

At their agreement, Usagi bit her lip, well it was now or never. "What? What is it?"

"Well, I know you guys let me run off to my family to investigate as a ploy to get me out of the way, but really, I would have gone anyway..." Usagi really didn't want to share, she really didn't want what she knew was going to happen. "It seems though, that the one that you thought was going to be the least successful was the most. My father had news." Then she laid it all out for them, she couldn't avoid it, and she hoped that they could save some blonds in the process. When she was done talking, she tried to stand up to go to the bags that she had sitting next to the door. Mamoru's arms though refused to let her leave, and she collapsed back against him.

"It's ok, Mamo-chan, I'm just going to the door. I'm not leaving, I won't be visible to anyone other than those already inside." She didn't spend the last few years with them, hovering and talking about safety procedures for nothing, she had learned and picked up some of their ramblings.

When it was clear that she wouldn't be released, she sighed and looked to Makoto. "Can you please go fetch my shopping bag and bring it here?"

Makoto rose to her feet and brought it back. Usagi dug around in it, she had bought a lot of things. Then she pulled out two boxes of hair dye. They were different colors. "Minako, which would you like to be? Black hair or brunette?"

Minako looked at the boxes before she picked brunette. "This is your solution?" Minako asked, turning the box around in her hands. "But your father said-"

"That there were blond roots or other tells, just don't let your hair grow out without dying it again." Usagi suggested. "It's the best we can do right now."

Minako looked at the box, rotating it in her hands before she dropped it down in front of Usagi. "Keep it."

Usagi's hand spasmed around Mamoru's arm as she realized what that meant. "Usagi-chan, you will use the Luna Pen as well." Luna jumped in front of Usagi and looked at her in a way that Usagi wasn't accustomed to have directed at her. Minako, sure, Makoto, all the time, Rei, yeah sometimes. Usagi or Mamoru? Never.

"You need to use both, sooner or later they're finally going to believe what they told your father, and we need to be sure you're always protected." Ami, this time, and though she loved her friend and knew she was being efficient, but sometimes the girl, no matter where her heart really was, seemed so cold and just plain technical.

"Minako-" Usagi breathed. "The person, youma, or whatever will attack you. You need the box-"

"Better you have a spare." Minako smiled reassuringly. "Besides, you're forgetting I have my own toy similar to yours." Usagi had not forgotten about Minako's compact, that was a toy that they both used to play with back in high school, and got into all sorts of trouble. Luna had always been furious, Artemis just worried, but Luna had never taken that anger out on Usagi. That was worse than being directly yelled at and disciplined. She hated seeing Minako get the brunt end of the rage of two people, and Luna was always even more angry when Minako involved Usagi in these escapades. So it was even worse than if Usagi had come up with it, pulled Minako along and then took part of the blame.

"So you'll be in hiding, just like me, but only with the compact?"

"For the time being." Minako agreed.

"But- Minako- that's- that's suicide!"

"Everyone in Japan will have dark hair. Even those in the iffy category will dye it dark. I'll stand out like a beacon." It was then that Usagi realized exactly how much Minako wanted that. She didn't know why Minako wanted to become a target to a madperson. "All eyes will be on me." Minako added unnecessarily.

Usagi clawed for Mamoru's hand and clutched it tight. "You'll be dead before you know it!"

"They've already tried once and failed already, when it was completely unexpected. Now we know that someone is coming and we'll have the upper hand because we'll have planned it all." Minako flipped her blond locks back over her shoulder and struck a pose. "I'm unbeatable."

Usagi only hoped that was true. God she hoped so.

–

EAN: This chapter shouldn't have surprised anyone. That's not really my intention at the moment. Now that we know why, we can go into who and what for...

EAN2: Xanthous: similar to the color of an egg yolk.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A few days later found Usagi walking down the street with Mamoru, hands linked and swinging. Her hair was up in a simple ponytail, something she hadn't done in a really, really, really long time. Her hair hung down her back until it reached her ankles. The color was a very dark brown, almost black, but still on the brown scale so nobody would suspect it was fake.

Minako had helped her color her hair, practically throwing her hair into a bucket of it while squeezing out the next few bottles on her sculpt and the upper portion of her hair. When Usagi had finished with her shower, and rinsing out the dye, Minak took one look at her and forced her down so she could dye her eyebrows too. The lashes she couldn't do anything about, but gave firm instructions on always using mascara and covering the entire length, making sure to get the roots. Usagi could handle that. So now they found Usagi, looking like an Irish maid with her dark hair and bright eyes and light skin tone. She even had some freckles.

People were looking at her like she was a foreigner. Even when she had blond hair she didn't feel like she was an outsider. Maybe its because she felt different so she felt like all eyes were on her, knowing it was fake, knowing she wasn't telling the truth.

Mamoru swung her around, before pulling her against his chest and against the wall, hugging her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Not to worry, love, nobody cares." He knew she was feeling off without much to give her away.

She turned her head and smiled up at him. "I'm sorry, but I just feel so exposed this way, I have never done so many changes at once."

"It doesn't have to be all changes." He tugged on her hair. "I miss the Odangos."

"I thought that would give me away." Usagi leaned her head back against his chest, looking up at his jaw. There they stood, against a wall, in this intimate position on the busy streets of Japan, but perhaps that's why they got away with it. They weren't doing much, and the streets were too busy with people going quickly about their own lives, they blended into the scenery.

That was until another couple stopped in front of them. This one was two girls, and they worked with Mamoru. "Uh, Chiba-san, hello." They had caught sight of him first and when Usagi lowered her head to look at them, she refrained from rolling her eyes.

These two girls never hid the fact that they were biding their time for Mamoru, and never held their tongue around her about what they thought about her. The other girl smiled charmingly. "I didn't know you and Usagi-san were in troubled waters. If you were looking for some new company, I was always a few numbers away."

Mamoru pulled Usagi tight against him. She didn't know if it was to reassure her or him or to stop her from attacking. "I'm not."

"But- Usagi-san's not here-"

"She is." Usagi responded, lifting a darkened brow, it wasn't as dark as her hair. "I also don't appreciate your moving in on my husband."

"Oh, Usagi-san!" The first woman spoke again. "I would hardly recognize you!" They both gave her an appraisal. "You two look almost like siblings with that hair."

It was true, they were both dark haired and blue eyed now, almost a perfect match, but still a few shades different. Though that wasn't the only difference, she'd seen people that looked like siblings, because they were, and she didn't look like one of those. His features were much too different than hers, even being a different gender. Though they were both attractive people.

"You look smarter." The second woman acknowledged. "I wouldn't have thought so at first, moving in on Mamoru like that, but you do look smarter. Not that dumb blond thing you had going on. Wise move, I think. Do they take you more seriously at work now too?"

Usagi's lips twitched, one of them was almost a blond too, but had been created so from her naturally black hair. "I'd think about going black again too, if I were you." Usagi meant it, but it did come out kind of sarcastic. She glanced upwards, though she couldn't see Mamoru unless she tilted her head, but it would be really nice if he stepped in right then and said something to them, to get them off her back once and for all.

Instead, unknown to her, he was glaring at them, it was a subtle shift in his eyes, but they understood the warning that was clear as day. It wouldn't matter if they were girls if they continued on like this. "Chiba-san- I- We-"

"Go home now, or where ever it was you were going." Mamoru stated. "I will see you again at work, but that is all it will ever be."

"We meant no harm." The first started again.

"This is my wife, it will never change, so go lather your hopes on some other man. I am taken and always will be."

The two left without further words and Usagi turned towards Mamoru. She reached her arms up around his neck and he lowered his head so they could share a kiss. "Thank you for that, Mamo-chan."

"Hey, your my girl, and I'm yours, can't let anyone talk to you like that." He put his hands on her hips and tugged her _somehow _closer. "Let's go home."

Usagi giggled and they both ran back to the apartment. Nobody saw them for half the day. So much for trying out the hair in public. Luckily it was the later half of the day. They were finally heading out to dinner, Usagi was putting on her shoes when Mamoru's _secret_ phone rang. Ami had updated all the communicators recently to cellphones. However she couldn't match the phone capabilities with their preexisting ones, so now all of them got to go around pretending to be spies.

All except Usagi and as soon as she heard it, Usagi stopped what she was doing. She took her foot back out of the shoe and turned to give him a kiss goodbye as he spoke on the phone and was turning into Kamen. "I'm sorry." He groaned.

"It's ok, go." Kamen disappeared out of the window and she was left standing alone in the apartment. She took one hobbled step towards the living room, trying to remove the shoe she had managed to get on, but she halted half way through her step and then spun around, shoving her spare foot into her other shoe. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door, remembering at the last moment to lock the door.

Then she was out on the street and heading down to some place else.

Across town, Kamen was with the other senshi, finding the latest victim just as the lights turned out. Kamen slid to a halt and the street lamp flickered before going out. Jupiter arched some lightning across the sky, happy that she could unleash all of her powers without worrying about scaring Usagi. They found a girl prone on the ground and they raced to her. She wasn't moving and nobody else was around. This is the first time that they were even alerted to the presence of the youma or attacker and this is the first time they'd found a victim.

Kamen looked down into the face of the girl who had been slaughtered. Slaughtered being the right word, as she was practically torn apart. Her face was intact though and he thought he was going to loose his lunch. He knew the girl, it was none other than the same woman who had been insulting Usagi earlier today.

"Kamen?" Mars put a hand on his shoulder, she didn't know the girl, hadn't had anything to do with his work place, not like Usagi. "What's the problem?"

"I know her." His voice was a strangled response and then he was gone, not helping the girls clean up and it didn't matter, they couldn't do anything either. Mercury scanned the body and the surrounding area before it could be touched by anyone else and contaminated.

Mercury closed her computer, it was going to go through the scan and compare it with the other situations. They still didn't even know if it was a youma or someone with powers. All they knew was that one attack had been on Minako, but that might have been a separate event.

"Where do you think he's gone off to?"

"Where else?" Venus sighed. "We might as well go too."

The ground seemed to up-heave and it knocked the senshi off their feet. For the second time that month, attacks rained down on their blond senshi, but when she attacked back, they suddenly stopped. That was it, they were gone, and the attacks were only after her. "Why would they stop?"

"You showed you have teeth." Mars commented. "Perhaps they're only after the easy wins."

"I really don't understand that whole blond only thing anyway." Venus ducked into a shadowy area and powered down, calling upon her compact to turn her into a redhead, a natural looking one, not like Beryl or anything.

"Redheads are always trouble." Makoto teased as she powered down too. "Think about all our enemies and who gave us the worst time."

They had to admit, it was pretty heavy on the redhead equal bad side. Even in the everyday, like Reika. Minako groaned as she realized what she'd just done. "Motoki's going to hate me."

"Ah, give him a chance, he might like this new addition."

–

Usagi was walking around downtown, when she heard the cops racing by. She turned to watch their direction and prayed everyone was all right. A dark form swept into an alleyway just ahead of her, and she barely registered its presence before she was walking past and being pulled in. The form that surrounded hers was quivering and she wrapped her arms around the waist, holding him close.

Mamoru found her too easily all the time, and this attack had him spooked like non-other. Usagi was a little cautious herself, that's why she bought the hair dye, but she didn't understand the gravity quite like he did. Hadn't seen death before, and hadn't seen it so recently either. "It's ok." She soothed and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his face, mask and all into her hair. "What happened?"

"Sallienna's dead." His breath wafted down over her hair and she could hear him clearly even though it was softly spoken and muffled. Her arms contracted around his waist in surprise. They had just seen her! Not that it should have been any worse than seeing Minako attacked right in front of her.

Usagi knew that anything she said right now wouldn't matter, so she just held him and eventually he gathered into his arms and carried her back the way she came. He let her down to her feet and then transformed back to his Mamoru state. He ran his fingers through her bangs, brushing the darkened strands out of her clear blue eyes.

"The first thought I had, seeing her there, was about you. How I had left you alone, and there was a madman on the loose trying to kill all the blonds in Japan. How he had gotten closer to me than any enemy we've ever had." It was exactly true, Naru got in trouble a lot too.

"I'm sure it was very difficult seeing her like that after we talked to her today. There was nothing anyone could do. This killer is crafty and..."

"You don't understand. It was disgusting, the way she was killed but I didn't care about her the way I should have. I only cared about you and making sure you were safe. It terrified me that they were after blonds, I know logically you don't look like one anymore, but I fear that there will be some way that you will end up dead, just like them. It terrifies me to loose you. This is the first time an attack has come close to you."

"It's not after _me_." Usagi soothed. "We don't know what its after, but we're taking every precaution against more people getting hurt." Usagi looped her hand into his and rested her head against his shoulder. "It'll be all right. Trust me."

Mamoru held Usagi, letting her take his worries away. He wasn't always the best at putting his feelings into words, but she helped him unlock them from time to time and he always felt better after sharing.

"I also keep thinking, if only she had taken your advice." Mamoru groaned, pulling her close. "I also couldn't help but think she deserved it for not doing so. That she had been cruel to you and karma was returning to her in spades. You had never done anything wrong to those girls."

Usagi rested her head on his shoulder. There was nothing she could say, and so she only offered silent support as he bared his thoughts and feelings. Her fingers played idly with his and soon he stopped talking, out of things to say or out of breath, she didn't quite break the hold over him yet. But soon she pulled away to look up to see which it was and found him asleep, the release of those pent up emotions finally allowing him rest.

She stood up and pulled a blanket down from the top shelf in the closet, then she covered him with it before returning with one of her own and snuggled up against him. Soon her head would end up in his lap and she'd be stretched out, the more comfortable of the two, but for now, she wanted to be close to him like this.

–

Across town, Ami's computer beeped. It was done going through the information. It finally had a way to filter out the outlying data. Ami looked through the information and smiled. Now she had at least the energy signature, and she was assured that it a magical enemy and not some deranged psychopath from Japan.

"Now, to merge the energy signature into the proper data base so it can pinpoint the enemy faster..." Ami's fingers clicked over the keyboard like a blur and then she was done. She smiled in satisfaction.

–

Even further adrift in Tokyo a redhead was making out with a blond man. She ran her hands through his hair and froze. "Your hair is blond."

"Thank you for finally noticing." He teased her, his head tilting so he could kiss her neck. She arched it back in escasty. She struggled to keep her head clear.

"But blonds are being attacked, we have to change your hair color."

"Blond females." His lips grazed a very tender spot and she groaned, his lips started to inch its way down.

"Wait." Minako struggled to move away. "Wait, wait, wait!" She held up her hands. "You're right of course. _Only _blond _females_. Not a single male has been attacked."

"I thought that's why you've done this with your hair." Motoki pulled her hair over her shoulder, looking at the natural looking red, that went well with her skin tone. She looked Northern United Kingdom too.

"It is of course, but... why _females_ if they're trying to rid Japan of blonds?"

"Perhaps that's only a side effect." Motoki suggested.

"The enemy is attacking blond females." Minako closed her eyes thinking hard. "A powerful enemy is attacking blond females, hit and run attacks. However when I fought it off today, as Venus it stopped and went away. We thought it was because I was attacking it back. Perhaps it was after a certain blond female and learned I wasn't it?"

Motoki watched as all of the color drained out of Minako. "What is it?"

"Who would a powerful enemy be after, that's a blond and isn't Venus? Who in this world is worth killing hundreds of others just to get at one?" Minako continued, filling Motoki in to her thoughts.

"A singer? An actor?" Motoki teased but he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly who Minako was talking about. Though Minako wasn't laughing. "The princess? The most powerful woman in the world? Though, I wouldn't really call her the most powerful woman in the world, right now."

"That's only because you can ignore her orders if you so chose." Minako teased back. "Though you never would say no to her, no matter what position she held."

"Only if it was the opposite of what you wanted." He acknowledged.

"Since she is my princess, my desires would never be opposite of hers, unless she wanted something I couldn't let her have, like dying." Minako's eyes flashed. "Which is what the enemy wants, isn't it?"

"What are you going to do about it?" Motoki asked, unsure if he'd like the answer.

"I told Usagi that we were going to use my hair color as bait, perhaps we'll have to kick it up a notch, as Minako, and have the other senshi there as a trap." Minako shuddered. "If anything happened to her-"

"If anything happened to _you_." Motoki countered. Then he realized what would happen to his love if anything happened to the girl he considered his kid sister. "Or her." He amended, knowing there was nothing he could do or say that would change her mind. Any of theirs. "Just promise me, you'll take all the precautions necessary."

"Of course." Minako teased, that was an easy thing to promise. She tugged him closer and pulled him in for an amazing kiss. Motoki's hand slid up her shirt.

* * *

><p>EAN: Still shouldn't be any surprises. Though I don't think there should be many, as I told you from the start what this story was about. What my intentions are for this story is to showcase what would happen, to change things up a little and just to write what I want to write. There might be a few twists, I haven't decided yet on them. Perhaps the why will interest you more than anything else or maybe the who. Or even what will happen.<p> 


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